High Winds Expected Today And Thursday - Be A Stormwatcher And Send Us Photos

Bay City News Service

PG&E is preparing for strong winds that are expected to hit the Bay Area over the next two days. The utility is anticipating some power outages if the wind storm produces the 60 mph gusts that weather forecasters are predicting, PG&E spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian said this morning.

If you see a problem in your neighborhood or while driving around, take some photos and send them to us at jim.caroompas@patch.com. Let us know where and when you took the pictures. Or just drop us a line and let us know what you see. 

The National Weather Service has issued a high-wind warning for the Bay Area that will be in effect for today and Thursday as a dry weather system moves through the region, weather service forecaster Duane Dykema said.

"It's not really what most people would consider a 'storm,'" Dykema said this morning. He said rain is not expected but that gusts of 60 to 70 mph are anticipated at higher elevations, with gusts of 40 to 45 mph in lower-lying areas, Dykema said. "It's going to be really blustery almost everywhere," he said.

Sarkissian said PG&E spends more than $180 million annually to inspect more than 130,000 miles of power lines in its service area from Eureka to Bakersfield to make sure they are safe. Although the utility focuses in particular on trimming unhealthy tree limbs that overhang power lines, it also monitors healthy limbs that pose a threat, she said.

Of the power outages in PG&E's service area, 13 percent are caused by tree limbs that fall onto power lines. Of those, 90 percent are caused by healthy tree branches, she said.

Customers reporting power outages can call PG&E at (800) 743-5002. People who encounter a downed power line should assume it is live, keep a safe distance away, and call 911 and PG&E, Sarkissian said.

If you see a problem with an obstacle in the roadway, you should call the city's Public Works Department at (925) 372-3580.